Summer Scholarship Recipient: Emma MacManus at staibdance in Italy

 Dance major Emma Macmanus received a Sally A. Radell Friends of Dance Scholarship to attend the staibdance Summer Intensive in Italy this past summer. Read on for a reflection of her experience. 

This summer, I attended the staibdance summer intensive in Sorrento, Italy with Emory faculty member Professor George Staib. The experience was equal parts inspiring and challenging, starting from the moment I stepped off my flight into Naples. Throughout this program, I was able to try various styles of movement I had never before trained in.

My favorite class was taught by Anna Bracewell, a staibdance dancer who teaches contemporary in Atlanta. Anna took a more non-traditional approach to movement classes. One exercise Anna had us do was write in a journal driven by a train of thought. This “word vomit” (for lack of a better phrase) later translated into movement. When prompted to exist in a mindset where thoughts existed and transitioned into each other in the absence of judgment, I was more readily able to move and create based on feeling over thought. 

The instructors themselves took advantage of the opportunities to learn from the other instructors of the program, creating an environment where dance transcends time, experience, and age. This example set forth by the instructors exemplified the collective nature of the company George has cultivated. The Italian culture of pleasure, indulgence, and hospitality also facilitated my movement, an aspect of the intensive I was not initially expecting. It was charming to interact with locals who were excited to watch the attendees dance at the conclusion of the intensive, without really relating to us on a personal or cultural basis. 

One evening at a local bar and restaurant, I met a dad and his young daughter. We exchanged small talk, and I invited them to our final performance. After the show, I was greeted by the daughter with roses, who spoke little English but was able to tell me how much she enjoyed the show. 

Movement is a universal language, encouraging connection in the absence of communication. Movement is joyous even in the moments when it is not intended to be, for the mere experience of feeling is something to celebrate. I am incredibly grateful for the ability to have been able to dance in such a beautiful space. I had never before been so quickly cracked wide open by a group of people, and the experience reminded me how much of a gift it is to move and feel.

Thank you for sharing this reflection Emma! Click here to learn more about The Friends of Dance at Emory.

Inside the Choreographer's Mind: return//de vuelta a los ancestros

 

Photo by Shannel J. Resto 

On September 20-21, 2024 at 7:30pm at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, the Emory Dance Program will present return//de vuelta a los ancestros, a faculty concert curated by Julio Medina. The concert will feature three new works by Medina Movement Collective, alongside works by local and international guest artists. Hear from faculty member Julio Medina below, as he shares an insider look into the process choreographing for and curating this concert, following his journey of reclamation of indigenous identity and reshaping his Mexican heritage.

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This concert is part of my personal and artistic journey to re-indigenize and decolonize. It feels like the end of two years of learning about my ancestors' way of life and the beginning of a new artistic chapter. This concert has deepened my craft of dance-making, given me a lot of new inspiration for future projects, and brought ancestral knowledge to my day-to-day life.

Many great collaborations are happening, one being with artist Salome Nieto. We are creating a magical duet inspired by witch folklore and are excited to close the show. I also worked with filmmaker Taso Papadakis in California in February, shooting a dance film in the desert. Another collaboration is with Hilda Estrella, director of Alma Mexicana; she choreographed a lovely iteration of "Danza del Venado" (Dance of the Deer) on me, and I can't wait to share it. This show and vision are the culmination of many collaborations.  

One ritualistic through-line in several dances is the acknowledgment of the pathways of the universe (cardinal directions). Another element is the presentation and presence of flowers, which play an essential role in the rituals of our lives, from altars to weddings to achievements. In this concert, I ask the audience members to partake in a little ritual and offer a flower to a loved one or Mother Earth. 

I hope audiences enjoy the concert, and hope the dances stir something in them, maybe a desire to move and get up and dance, or awaken their power and connect them to their magic. I hope the audience walks away thinking about our planet more, or perhaps where their ancestors came from and how they related to the earth. 

 
Thank you Julio! Click here to purchase tickets: https://tickets.arts.emory.edu/medina2024
 
For information about the Emory Dance Program and upcoming events, visit dance.emory.edu and follow us on Instagram and Facebook at @emorydanceprogram. 

Emory Dance Company Choreographer: Gracie Evans

 

The Spring 2024 Emory Dance Company Concert on April 18-20 features new work by students in our Choreography II course. Read about choreographer Gracie Evans' work and process below!

My piece chronicles an unnamed invisible illness and its physical and emotional impacts on the body. The work is split into three stages, with each stage corresponding to the “before”, “during”, and “after” phases of illness. My dancers have been exploring how pain, suffering, and grief can manifest into movement in a non-literal and abstract way. The narrative of the piece draws from my own experience as well as the novel “The Invisible Kingdom” by Meghan O’Rourke.

Illness is so uniquely personal and it can be a very isolating experience. While the work touches on this, the dancers have also revealed how there is always a space for community and connection. When I watch the work, I can’t help but notice the extraordinary care the dancers have for one another. I am most excited to see how this unity and collective energy transfers to the stage.

Most of the material that I choreograph feels good in the body, familiar, or as my dancers describe it, “fun.” During my choreographic process, I have challenged my dancers to experiment with movement that feels physically uncomfortable but emotionally resonant. The juxtaposition of these two vastly different movement qualities has been so exciting to watch and I can’t thank my cast enough for their willingness to really “go there.”

I hope audiences feel like they went on a journey while watching my work. I hope that they feel a pit in their stomach that is overpowered by the beautiful and groovy movement, but never quite leaves.

Thank you Gracie! Tickets for the Emory Dance Company Spring 2024 Concert are on sale now. Click here to purchase them now!

Emory Dance Company Choreographer: Kayla Lim

The Spring 2024 Emory Dance Company Concert on April 18-20 features new work by students in our Choreography II course. Read about choreographer Kayla Lim's work and process below!

I am exploring the concept of emotions, and the sense of embodiment with these emotions integrated into my movement. I have an idea of each emotion that I want for each part of my piece - excitement, restlessness, loneliness, and acceptance. I want to give my dancers this outline to think about when creating and executing the movement, but I also want to give them the freedom to interpret these emotions themselves.

I am most excited to see where this piece is going because I don't have set transitions or endings yet. I enjoy the process of figuring out what works and what doesn't, so having the time and ability to play around with that is what I find most exciting. I am also very inspired by my dancers which helps greatly with the process itself.

My choreographic process began with creating three core phrases. I wanted to give out a good amount of choreography before I had my dancers generate movement so that I could set a guideline. I am now exploring more of individuality as opposed to unity since most of my phrases that I have created are group sections. I have added a duet section with movement generated by my dancers, and I plan to incorporate more of those elements in the future.

I hope that audiences enjoy the work and take away something they remember in the future.

Thank you Kayla! Tickets for the Emory Dance Company Spring 2024 Concert are on sale now. Click here to purchase them now!

Emory Dance Company Choreographer: Sophia Shahin

 

The Spring 2024 Emory Dance Company Concert on April 18-20 features new work by students in our Choreography II course. Read about choreographer Sophia Shahin's work and process below!

I am drawing inspiration from the manifestation of the unconscious mind within the realm of dreams. I want to dive into the surreal and abstract nature of dreams, exploring how they serve as a veil, masking the authentic emotions of the dreamer. In addition, I aim to illuminate the concept of dreams as a window to the unconscious, where emotions are often suppressed and disguised.

This piece truly invites the audience into an unfamiliar world, one where the interplay of a disturbing soundscape, distorted costumes, and emotionally charged yet athletic movements immerse the audience into a narrative. As I continue to explore this world, I am thrilled by watching my dancers engage with the material, surrendering to the absurdity and complexity of it.

As a first-time choreographer, I am still honing my creative process. I’ve played with offering phrase work, which I then manipulate and distort. Additionally, I’ve explored providing prompts to the dancer, which take the form of artistic images, Wikipedia pages, and other sources detailing dream phenomena and letting that spark inspiration for movement generation.

When audiences witness my work, I hope they feel disoriented amidst the absurdity and ambiguity of the piece, prompting introspection and personal interpretation. The abstract nature of the piece invites the audience to embark on a unique journey, finding clarity within the mysterious nature of dreams and emotions.

Thank you Sophia! Tickets for the Emory Dance Company Spring 2024 Concert are on sale now. Click here to purchase them now!

Emory Dance Company Choreographer: Deena Goodgold

 

The Spring 2024 Emory Dance Company Concert on April 18-20 features new work by students in our Choreography II course. Read about choreographer Deena Goodgold's work and process below!

In my work, I am exploring themes of multi-tasking, distractions, hyper-fixations, and other concepts related to having ADHD, and their benefits. I am also interested in exploring these concepts in a scientific manner, taking into account the randomness in nature that allows us to adapt to our environment. Given that I can relate to these concepts, I am curious to see how they subconsciously govern the direction of the piece.

In rehearsals, I have been teaching phrases that I made as well as having my dancers generate their own material based off of questions I ask and prompts/words I give the dancers to think about. I have been playing with this material and finding new ways of portraying concepts that relate to the overall theme.

I want audience members to find themselves at times getting distracted, but noting that whatever they are drawn to holds something of value. I hope that the audience can get a glimpse into the mind of someone with ADHD and perceive the organized chaos within the work. 

Thank you Deena! Tickets for the Emory Dance Company Spring 2024 Concert are on sale now. Click here to purchase them now!

Emory Dance Company Choreographer: Chi Rung Chan

 

The Spring 2024 Emory Dance Company Concert on April 18-20 features new work by students in our Choreography II course. Read about choreographer Chi Rung Chan's work and process below!

I’m exploring play through the rules, shapes, spatial patterns, and imagery of Taiwanese Mahjong.  I’m exploring rave through their specific culture, concepts, and music.  I’m most excited to world-build, through factual knowledge on our shared Taiwanese culture, as well as pure imagination and play on the concepts I’m exploring.  

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While I am very hands-on and experimental, I am extremely intentional and specific in my movement generation. I enjoy sharing with my dancers the inspirations behind what we are building, and I especially enjoy watching them welcome and interpret my ideas with open arms and a twist of their own creativity. I practice collaboration in workshopping and problem-solving as a team with my cast, having fun and connecting with one another in the creative process. To me, that reflects not only my values as a choreographer but also a key component in both Mahjong and raving: to build relationships while having fun together.  

Thank you Chi Rung! Tickets for the Emory Dance Company Spring 2024 Concert are on sale now. Click here to purchase them now!